


It Won't End Like This

by Riddlebird-puff (hobbitpuff)



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gobblepot Week 2019, M/M, Panic Attacks, Tabitha is Alive because its my universe, season 5, trapped together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-20 07:40:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17618276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbitpuff/pseuds/Riddlebird-puff
Summary: Jim and Oswald are trapped in a cell together when someone makes an attack on Haven.





	It Won't End Like This

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Gobblepot Week. Inspired by the prompts:
> 
> I want all my lasts to be with you &  
> This thing we're doing here, you, me. I'm in. All in.
> 
> (But this took a turn of its own)
> 
> This is completely self indulgent and not meant to fit perfectly in canon.

Jim watched Oswald pace back and forth in the small cell with his hands tied behind his back. He almost smiled. There was something comfortingly familiar being stuck in here with the other man, not that he would admit that he was almost fond of the gangster.

“Are you planning on digging a trench out of here with all that pacing?”

“Its better than standing around doing nothing!” Oswald stopped and limped over to Jim. “Waiting for the gangs to come back and finish us off, this is all your fault!”

 _His fault?_ He could have reminded Oswald that it was himself that had locked Jim in here. None of this would have happened if Oswald had stayed in his own territory, Harvey had tried to warn him that it was a mistake to allow refugees from the so-called self proclaimed mayor of Gotham. But they did not turn away any man or woman, or even dog apparently.

Jim wondered what had happened to Edward the _dog._ Now there was something he was itching to ask, but it wasn't the time.

“They aren't going to kill us, Oswald,” he told him calmly.

“These men are killers, Jim!” Oswald sputtered. “They have no meaning of honor.”

“If they had wanted us dead, we would be dead.”

“Maybe they don't want to waste precious ammo on us,” he shrugged the best he could with his hands tied behind his back. “Why waste bullets when they can just starve us out?”

“Or maybe they're hoping we finish each other off instead,” Jim leaned forward closer to Oswald’s ear. “If we want to get out of here we need to work together.”

“The last time I offered we work together you shot me in the leg, Jim,” he hissed. “Why should I help you get out?”

Jim felt bad about that but it wasn't as though Oswald had left him any other option. He sighed.

“Because they are obviously leaving us both alive for a reason,” he said. “And my guess is they're keeping us for the person, or persons, really in charge.”

“What do you mean?” Oswald finally stopped trying to wiggle out of his bounds. Good, he finally had his attention.

“Somebody has been sabotaging both of our territories and setting us against each other, now we have three rival gangs supposingly working together, doesn't it seem a little more than convenient to you?” It would have been easy to blame it all on Oswald but he liked to think that he knew the gangster’s style, and this was too messy for Oswald.

“There is no one else capable of the level of this…,” his eyes bugged almost comically and he closed his mouth.

“You know who it is,” Jim wished he had use of his hands to grab Oswald.

“No,” he shook his head. “It couldn't be him. He's not… he's gone.”

It was obvious Oswald was protecting someone, but who? Who else would it be?

“Edward Nygma,” Jim groaned. “Where is Ed, Oswald?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, Jim,” he turned away, gave his back to Jim. “The last time I saw him he was planning to leave Gotham with the _lovely_ Doctor Leslie Thompkins. I would assume they either made it across before the bridges blew or they are both at the bottom of the harbor. And I can't say I'm sorry.”

Jim had sent searches for both Ed and Lee but nothing had come of it. His brain knew Oswald was probably right but his heart told him otherwise. He could almost wish they had both made it out, that Lee was safe and happy, even if Ed was the one she had chosen. But he knew she would never be safe with Nygma, if they were still together, she was in danger.

And Oswald was keeping something from him.

“If you know something about where Nygma is hiding-.”

“I know nothing,” he turned back around, his eyes were red. “I have put out a reward for his capture, if he were… in Gotham he would have been found by now.”

“You believe Nygma is dead,”Jim said. “That's why you named the dog after him.”

“I named the hound after my first dog, nothing more,” he answered. “And he proved himself to be as loyal.”

Oswald may have named the dog out of spite, but that did not explain the absolute devotion he held for hound. It did not explain why he had stormed the gates of Haven to get him back. Nor the fondness he held for the dog that shared the name of his rival.

Could it be, was Oswald in love with Edward, he wondered. Weren't they a fine pair of fools, he thought. Both in love with people that had chosen each other instead of them.

The sound of light footsteps came down to them from the stairs.

“Who is that? Who's there? Show yourself,” Oswald stumbled toward the door of the cell. “I demand as your Mayor to let me out.” He stomped his good foot.

“Oswald,” Jim stepped between him and the gate. “Let me handle this. Come down, do not be frightened.”

Jim was not surprised when the young boy he had met at Mother's peeked around the corner. “Captain Gordon?”

“Will,” he was happy to see the boy was safe. “What are you doing down here?”

“The guard is taking a-, he is going to the bathroom. I took the chance and snuck past him.”

“You shouldn't be down here,” Jim spoke softly so not to alert the distracted guards. “Get back up before you're caught.”

“Now don't be hasty _Captain_ Gordon,” Oswald leaned against Jim’s shoulder. “Hey boy, if you help me out of here I'll give you a big chocolate bar, how does that sound, mmm, not too many of those about anymore. What do you say?”

“I'm diabetic,” Will pointed at Oswald. “And aren't you the bad man that locked Captain Gordon in here? You deserve to stay down here, bad people deserve to be in prison and you are a bad person.”

“Jim, explain to the young man that we are old friends and it is just all a misunderstanding.”

Jim struggled not to roll his eyes. “Will, I need you to find something down here that we can use to cut our binds. A small knife or anything with a sharp edge. Be quick.”

He watched as the boy searched the nearby shelf for his request. He picked up a small object. “What about this?”

It was an old fashioned can opener, he could make it work. “Perfect, slide it through the bars and get out of here before the guard comes back.”

“I want to help,” Will held on to the can opener.

“You can help me,” Jim smiled. “Go upstairs and leave Haven. Find the Sirens, find Harvey. Tell him what happened.”

“I… okay,” the boy nodded. “I can do that.” He knelt down and slid the can opener through the bars. “I'll come back with help, Captain Gordon!” He ran up the stairs and disappeared. Jim waited for a sound that didn't come and breathed a sigh of belief.

“Picking up strays, Jim?”

“If you so much as touch a hair on that boy's head, Oswald, I swear-.” He should not forget, Oswald had murdered a young boy not much younger than Will. A boy that had trusted the gangster.

“I am not in the habit of killing strays, Jim.”

“No, just defenseless mute orphans,” he pushed Oswald away with his shoulder.

Oswald slammed into the bars. “I did not murder Martine! I wouldn't- I thought of the boy like a son, do you honesty believe I would kill someone I cared for, Jim?”

There was truth to his words, Jim knew. “Then what happened to the boy?”

“Sophia threatened to have him disposed, I faked his death and had him hid in a safe place far from Gotham,” he explained quickly. “And then Sophia had her father killed and framed me for it.”

Jim leaned against Oswald. “If you're telling the truth, why go to Arkham for a murder you didn't commit?”

“Sophia found Martine and held him hostage for my silence, she would've had him killed if I confessed to not murdering Falcone.”

Jim released Oswald. He had known he didn't have all the pieces to the puzzle, now the picture was coming clear. He only had one more question.

“Where is Martine now?”

“A friend rescued him from Sophia's goons and got him out of Gotham,” he said. “He's in Bludhaven, with a good family.”

“A friend?” Jim questioned. “You don't have many of those left, do you?”

“No more than you, Jimbo,” Oswald smirked. “Do you actually have a plan? Or are you just going to interrogate me all night?” he winked.

How did Jim always find himself trading suggestive insults with Oswald?

“We need to work together to pick up the can opener off the ground and cut the ropes binding our hands.”

“And how do you propose we do that without falling over?”

“Easy. We’ll stand back to back and go down together,” he explained, he would admit it wasn't one of his best plans.

“That's the plan? We go down on each other so to speak?” Oswald laughed. “Did it even occur to you to have the boy, I don't know, hand you the tool through the bars?”

“I didn't hear you coming up with any suggestions,” Jim gritted his teeth. Damn, that would've been easier.

“I am _not_ the brilliant detective here, am I?”

“I don't know,” Jim said. “I don't have much experience breaking out of cells, do I?”

“Ohhhh,” Oswald hissed. “No you only know how to throw people into them!”

“If you're done joking around, I'd like to get out of here before someone comes down to investigate,” he dragged the can opener with his foot to a better position. “You weigh lighter than me, brace against my back and grab it when you're low enough to the ground.”

“This is ridiculous, I'm only going to end up on my back like an overturned tortoise,” he limped over and turned his back to Jim’s. “When we get out of here the first thing you're doing is destroying the surveillance tapes.”

When he felt Oswald’s ass pressed against his own, Jim realized he had made a big mistake. And when Oswald wiggled his ass into a better position, he thought maybe it hadn't been a mistake at all. He swallowed a moan, then the other man grabbed his ass with his bound hands and Jim yelped.

“You're going too fast, Oswald,” he warned. “You're going to topple us both over.” He tried to grab him but it wasn't enough, they both fell. He flipped them over so he wouldn't land on Oswald, and his bad leg. Luckily they had landed close enough to the can opener to reach over and pick it up from the floor. But at the moment he had more… pressuring problems. Mainly that Oswald was currently pressing not quite painfully into his cock.

Jim cannot say he had never thought of having Oswald on top of him but not quite like this.

“I think I like having you beneath me, Captain Gordon,” Oswald chuckled. “At my mercy.”

Jim felt his cock twitch and he bucked into Oswald. Great, he thought, no way the gangster missed _that._ He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

Oswald’s eyes grew round. “They left your gun on you? Why didn't you say so sooner?” He shifted away from the bulge in Jim’s pants. “It could've gone off on me by mistake.”

Jim felt himself start to laugh. “Not that kind of gun, but you did almost shoot it off there, Oswald.”

“What- Oh!” Oswald stared down at Jim’s lap and bit his lip.

Jim managed to get a hold of the can opener, he had a desperate need to get his hands freed. Although he could think of one thing Oswald could do that he didn't need the use of hands for. He almost had his hands free when he heard the loud explosion. He ripped the rest of the rope off his wrists and flipped Oswald over to shield him with his body.

“What the hell?” Oswald yelled out at the first quake that shook the ceiling, and floors, above their heads.

“Haven is being attacked,” he whispered. The lights flickered but stayed on low. Part of the ceiling crashed down but the cell blocked them from the worst of the damage. Jim waited for the creaking above their heads before helping Oswald to stand and cut the ropes around his hands. He kept the can opener as a potential weapon and tried to dislodge the cell door, it appeared to have become bent and stuck near the top. He slammed his shoulder against the gate causing part of the ceiling to fall behind him. “Stand back, Oswald. We need to get out of here.” He looked over his shoulder, Oswald was just standing there, almost in shock. “Oswald, come on, I need you to snap out of it.”

“We're stuck down here,” he started breathing heavy.

“I'll find a way out,” he promised.

“The ceiling will fall on us.”

“Harvey will be back in a few hours, if we're not out by then he'll know where to dig to get us out.”

“We will run out of air,” he started to hyperventilate.

Jim stopped working on the door and came back to Oswald. He took his hands in his, they were cold and clammy. “Look at me, Oswald. We are not going to run out of air.”

“We are going to the die down here, in the dark,” he gasped for breath.

He had seen the gangster shot and left for dead, stabbed and beat but he had never seen him frightened like this. It was enough to shake his own confidence that he would get them out.

Jim put his hand on Oswald’s frantically beating heart, and placed his hand over Jim’s. “Feel my heart, Oswald. Breathe with me.” He breathed slowly.

“Why are you doing this, you _hate_ me,” Oswald wheezed.

“I don't hate you, Oswald,” Jim chuckled. “In fact, I can think of no one else I would rather spend my last moments with at this moment.” He was surprised that it was the truth. “But this won't be how we die.”

“I'm glad you are here, Jim,” he hiccupped.

Jim recognized that Oswald was having a panic attack but he didn't know how to stop it. Maybe if he had a paper bag available… suddenly he had an idea. “I would like to try something. I would like to try to stimulate respiration, if you would will it?”

“What do you mean?” Oswald leaned against Jim’s shoulder. “Like mouth to mouth?”

“I have been trained in CPR,” Jim said weakly. “The principles are different but it can't hurt to try.”

“I have never been kissed,” he laughed. “It would be a shame to die before being kissed. Yes, I permit it.”

“This is not a kiss, Oswald,” Jim took Oswald’s head and tilted his face up. “If you can't breath, hit me and I'll stop, okay?” He placed his mouth over Oswald’s and breathed out. “Breathe with me, Oswald. When I breathe out, you breathe in. When I breathe in, breathe out.” He breathed in and felt Oswald’s breath flow across his lips. “Good, you're doing good, Oswald.”

Oswald ended up with his arms around his neck, and Jim had his around his waist. And as the gangster’s breathing became more steady their breaths came closer and closer until they were breathing together. Jim moved his mouth against Oswald’s, slipped his tongue between his lips, the other man shuddered in his arms.

Jim had only kissed one other man in college. He hadn't hated it but it had not been his thing either. This was different. It would seem kissing Oswald was very much _his_ thing. He pushed Oswald up against the bars and placed his leg between Oswald’s, and Oswald put his good leg around his waist. Jim could feel he was just as hard as himself.

He forgot about the attack on Haven, he forgot about trying to find a way out. If they were going to die down here, he could think of no better way than to die in Oswald’s arms.

“Jiiiim!! Are you down here, Jim? Come on Jim, answer me!”

Jim knew that voice, Harvey had found them. He almost felt like telling him to go away so he could keep kissing Oswald. Then a dog started barking frantically.

“Edward? Ed is that you?” Oswald broke away from Jim and called out.

“We're down here in the cell, Harvey!” Jim yelled out.

“Thank god, Jim! We'll get you out of there, just sit tight, got it?”

“Got nowhere else to be,” Jim called back. He looked at Oswald. “You okay?”

“That… was my first kiss,” Oswald said softly.

“It might have been the first but it doesn't have to be the last,” Jim brushed his thumb across Oswald’s mouth. “If you will it.”

“What do you mean?”

“This.” Jim leaned forward and caught his mouth before he could speak again.

There was a crash of rubble but they did not separate.

“Hey, Jim. We've cleared the rubble,” Harvey’s voice was in the same room. “I take it you're conserving the air by sharing it.” He chuckled.

Jim held up his middle finger behind his back to his partner before stepping away from Oswald.

“I always knew there was something between you and the little freak, Jim,” Barbara Kean stepped around Harvey. “Did you imagine it was him that last time you asked me to peg you?”

Jim blushed at Harvey's laughter.

The stocky bulldog hopped towards Oswald, tongue hanging out, barking happily.

“Edward! You're safe!” Oswald knelt down and hugged the dog. “Did you show them where to find us? Who's a good dog?” He gave the dog, the dog named after his rival, a kiss on the head.

“I've got to say, Os,” Harvey said. “I like this Edward more than the previous one.”

“The dog's name is, Edward?” Barbara giggled. “Oh, that's a good one. Wait until I tell Tabby.”

Jim decided to save Oswald before it got out of hand.

“Ready to get out of here?” Jim held his hand out to Oswald. “I believe we have a deal to make.”

“What exactly are you offering?”

“Whatever you want, Oswald. All of it. I'm all in.”

If Gotham was the end of the world, he would rather face it beside an old friend than alone.  

Oswald took his hand.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> A warm thank you for the Gobblepot family. I never expected this ship to hit me quite so hard this season. But I have absolutely fallen in love with writing this ship. And thank you for being so welcoming to a newcomer. :)
> 
> Happy (early) Valentine's Day 💕💕


End file.
